Frida-Levy-Gesamtschule in Essen: 13 of 25 students in class 10c achieve Abitur

In nationwide comparison, the performance of class 10c is unusual. According to the Federal Statistical Office, in all of Germany in 2024/2025, just over 34 percent of students with a German passport completed the Abitur, "whereas for students without German citizenship it was just over 11 percent." With 13 of 25 students achieving Abitur-suitable grades, the class is well above this figure.

Three students, three paths

Three students are particularly at the center of the WDR report. Sixteen-year-old Bilal has also achieved the grades for the Abitur. He mentions reservedly that his parents have passed away. When his father also died about two years ago, he was taken in by the school. About his teachers he says: "An denen nehme ich mir ein großes Vorbild." His vision for the future: "Ich möchte Lehrer werden."

Jad, whose family fled from Syria to Germany about ten years ago, has achieved the qualification for upper secondary school and can take the Abitur. "Meine Eltern sind damals extra für uns aus Syrien geflüchtet und hierhergekommen. Um uns eine Zukunft zu sichern." He says: "Ich habe jetzt das geschafft, was ich wollte, ich habe meine Eltern stolz gemacht." His classmate Akin will begin an apprenticeship at a supermarket; Chayenne, the only one in the class without a migration background, is going to vocational school.

Ofa, whose parents came to Germany from Cameroon, will transfer to the Maria-Wächtler-Gymnasium after the summer holidays. There, an advanced computer science course is offered. About his plans he says: "Ich möchte mich anstrengen und ihnen etwas zurückgeben." Looking at his own biography, he formulates a fundamental claim: "Wenn wir harte Arbeit investieren und darum kämpfen, denke ich, dass wir den Chancenunterschied zunichtemachen können. Indem wir uns zusammenreißen und alles geben."

Teachers as long-term companions

The class teachers see the success as joint work. Kismet Bayrak has been teaching the class since fifth grade. She says: "In bestimmten Punkten kann ich besser nachvollziehen, was die Schüler beschäftigt. Sprachliche Barrieren waren für mich auch schwierig." Sophie Bitterschulte, the other class teacher, came to the school two years ago. About her work she says: "Ich hatte mir mehr Unterricht vorgestellt und weniger Beziehungsarbeit, … aber es ist ganz viel Beziehungsarbeit, die ich persönlich sehr mag und schätze, wodurch man eine enge Verbindung aufbauen kann."

The report also points to the school's tight framework conditions. The location near the train station and the structural condition of the buildings form the external context of an institution with the highest social index. According to the reporter, the personal stories of the students show what significance individual teachers and a reliable school environment have for young people who make their way under difficult conditions.

Looking beyond the individual school

The examples from Essen raise a question that goes beyond the individual school. The statistics of the Federal Statistical Office have shown for years a significantly lower Abitur rate for students without a German passport than for students with a German passport. From the reporter's perspective, class 10c thus represents a counterpoint to this nationwide trend – with a proportion of Abitur-suitable students that is significantly above the average for comparable groups.